Wheel-tire.



PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906. N. BEGKWITH. WHEEL TIRE 172 van afar.

WlmcJJeJ.

UNITED sTATns PATENT oEFIoE.

NELSON BEeKW TH, or SOMERVILLE, MAssAeH sErrs. I .WHEE L-TIREa iSpecification of'LetterePatent. i

Application filed Jaly 25, 1904. Berial'No. 217,95].-

To all whom it may concern: a a 7 Be it known thatI, NELSON BEOKWITH, acitizen of the United States, residing in Somerville, in the. county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts; have invented an rim of the wheelin a novel manner, as will be described. The sections of the tire mayand preferably will be provided with one'or more reinforcing bars orrods," extended longitudi-.

nally of the sections and cooperating with the devices employed to clampthe sections to'the tire to' lprevent creeping of the tireseetions, aswil be described. Provision is also made to prevent stones becomingwedged between the sections of the tire, as will be described. -Theseand other features of this invention will be .pointed outiin the.

claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel .embodying this invention; Fig.2, a. detail in section of the wheel shown in Fig. '1; Fig. 3, a

cross-section of a wheel provided with a .single tire embodying thisinvention; Fig. 1, a longitudinal section of the single tire shown inFig. 3 Fig'. 5, a detail of the preferred form of clamping device, andFig. 6 a plan of one (if the tire-sections removed from the whee In thepresent instance I have shown the invention as embodied in a wheelespecially designed and adapted foruse on automobiles and in which thehub a, spokes b, and rim, comprising the parts 0 b, are and may be ofany usual or suitablej construction.- The part c is and may be made as achannel-iron and is secured to the art (1, which may be of wood, byrivets e. n accordance with this invention the wheel is provided withone or more tires, eachcomposed of sections f-of yielding material,preferably; rubber, and

each sectionmay and preferably will be provided with a body. portion,from whichpro- 'ject at the opposite ends thereof lips-Dr er tensions g,with which cooperate clamping with the devices by which theyieldingisections of the wheel. I may head comprising a centralzvertic asubstantially horizontalfpiecejy;

jec ts beyond the opposite sidesiof the web-i the upper surface of theli s'g on adjacent tire-sections, asre resente in Fig. 2. r

The clamping evice isprovided with a stem ,or ,rod 7;,- which isdesigned to extend .Batented Sept. 11,1906.

I tire may be firmly secured-to'the'rim of ,the

to form flanges, .wlnchare adaptedfto engage nuts m, by means of whichthe clamping dethereby firmly clam thetire to-the rim 0 thewheel'. Thestem or rod-7c projects .beyondjithe'web Land-in. order to permittheends of the lipsg on the.

tire-sections to abut against thefsaidwe'b the said lipsare providedwith a reces s '12,, ,-(see .viee may be drawn-into firm engagementlipsg of adjacent'tire-sections, and

adjacent. sections of Fig. 6,) which conforms to thelshapeof the stem orrod 7c.

The tire-seotions f may and preferably will be reinforced by one 'ormore metal rods 0,

which may extend entirely through the said section but I prefer to havethe reinforcing I rods 9. little shorter than thelength of thetire-sections throughthe lips g,so that the ends of the rods may becovered, as re resented in Figs Land 6, in which case it wi be noticedthat. a thin cushion is inter osed between the metal web i and the metarods '0, while the rods are yet sufficiently close to the clampingdevice to prevent any extended movement of the tire-section on the rimof the wheel. I

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the wheel 'as provided with two, tires ofthe construction above described, the sections of one tire beingarranged so as to break joints with the sections 0 the other tire.plurality of tires of the construction above described and arranged sothat the sections of one tire break joints with the sections of theother tire is es eciallyadvantageous forguse is increased as af'eeotionof one tire is gripping when the endof, a section on the other t1re 1sgseparated prevent'jlateral movement or slu'in ofthe vehicle; 4 j

'- en the Wheel 1s: to be used on a. hghter A wheelhaving a' s on heavyvehic es, masmuch asthe traction.

being compressed. So-,fa'lso,'the two-tires be- 1 '1 1o .7 down throughthe rim of the wheel andis threaded at its end to receive one or. more;

vehicle, such as an automobile for pleasure purposes or for light work,a single tire may be used, as represented in Fig. 3.

- By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the sections of thetire are firmly clamped to the rim of the wheel and while offeringincreased traction do so without movement of the'tire on the rim of thewheel. Itwill also be seen that,'if desired, any section of the tirecanbe quickly removed and replaced by a new section in a substantiallyshort time, it being only necessary to unscrew the nuts m and remove theclamping devices at the opposite ends of the section to beremoved. mayprefer to make the lips g= ronou'nced and to shape the body portion thetire-section so as to leave aclear space between adjacent sections,asshown, and when so constructed protially fill the space betweenadjacent tire-sec--- vision may be made to prevent stones from beingpicked up and wedged between the tiresections. For this purpose I preferto partions by a block or piece p of rubber or-other suitable material,which may be curved on its outer surface; as shown in Fig. 3, and whichmay be vulcanized, riveted, or otherwise secured to the top piece of theclamping device.

I claim- 1. The combination with a wheel, of a tire com osed of sectionsof yielding material havmg ips rojecting from the opposite ends thereof,0 ampmg devlces interposed between said sections and comprising a rod orstem, a

,web interposedbetween said lips andagainstwhich said lips abut and sideflanges projecting from said Web to engage the upper face of sald lips,and means engaging saidstem or rod to secure said clamping devices tosaid wheel, substantially as described.

, 2. The combination with awheel, of a tire gaging the uppensurface ofsaid lips, and

means to securesaid clampin ;deviees-to said wheel, substantially asdescri ed! a 3. The combination with-a wheel,- of a-tire composed ofsections-ofyielding-material hav ing lips or projections, c mpingdevices interposed between adjacent sections andzengag mg said lips androvided with devices ofalength substantia 1y equal to thewhithiofa;

tire-section and which are interposed between the lips of adjacentsections to separate the same and to lock said sections againstcircuniferential movement, and means to secure said? clampinghev ces tosaid :wheel, substantially as descri ed.

4. vThe eombination-witha-wheel, ofJa-tire composed of sections ofyieldingmaterial,

composed of sections of yielding material havsubstantially T-shapedclamping devices havtion, clamping devices interposed between saidsections and in engagement therewith to secure said sections to saidwheel, said clamping devices having a portion extended transversely ofthe "wheel which is interposed between and in line with thereinforcing-rods of adjacent sections, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a wheel, of a plurality of tires, each composedof independent sections separated from one another at their outercircumference and provided with lip's at their ends, the sections of onetire bein arranged to break joints with the sections 0 anothertire'sothat a solid portion of a section of one tire is opposite the spacebetween adjacent sections of the other tire, and clamping devices toengage said lips and detachably secure said sections to said wheel,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a wheel, of a plurality of tires provided withsections, sepa rated from one another at their outer circumferences, thesections of one tire being arranged to break joints with the sections ofan other tire so that a solid portion'of a section of. one tire isopposite the space between adjacent sections of the other tire, and-'means to secure said tires to said wheel, substantially as described.8. The combination with a wheel, of a tire comprising two or moreannular rows of tiresectlons, the tire-sections composing each row beingarranged around the rim of the wheel and disposed with relation to eachother so as to leave a space between each tire-section and thetire-sections adjacent to the ends thereof and disposed in relation tothe tiresections in the next row thereto so that each tire-section willoverlap two tire-sections in .the row next to it, a clamping devicearranged in the spaces between the tire-sections in each annular row,means for forming an operative connection between said tire-sections andsaid clamping devicesand means for securing said clamping devices on therim of thewheel, substantially as described and for the purpose setforth. 1 f

In testimony whereof I have signed my. name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, NELSON "BECKWITH; Witnesses:

JAS. H. Cmmonna, J. MURPHY.

